Jean-David Malo
Acting Director
European Commission – DG Research and Innovation – Directorate A “ERA & Innovation”
Keynote Speaker
Jean-David Malo studied at the Institut National Supérieur des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales (INSEEC Paris) and the University of California, Berkeley. His career began as Head of Internal Control Management at CPDC in France, followed by a significant role at ARMINES, where he led the European Affairs Directorate. Joining the European Commission in 2001, he influenced funding schemes for FP6 and FP7, assisted Director Robert-Jan Smits, and designed and managed innovative financial instruments within DG RTD such as RSFF and InnovFin. Appointed Director for Open Innovation and Open Science in 2017, he designed and managed initiatives such as the European Innovation Council (EIC), the VentureEU Initiative, the RDI dimension under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the European Open Science Cloud, the long-term sustainable investments for Research Infrastructures, the monitoring of the ERA Roadmaps, the transposition of Plan S principles, etc… Appointed as Director of the EIC Task Force in June 2019, he led the executive agency (EISMEA) implementing the EIC from April 2021 to March 2025. Since April 2025, he is the acting Director for ERA and Innovation in DG RTD. He is also a proud father of two sons.
Jenny Melia
CEO of Enterprise Ireland
Fire Side Chat
Jenny Melia is the CEO of Enterprise Ireland, the government’s enterprise development agency which supports Irish-owned companies to start and scale, and to become global leaders in their field. It is Jenny and Enterprise Ireland’s long-term ambition that exporting Irish companies will become the primary driver of the Irish economy.
As CEO, Jenny leads and supports the dedicated Enterprise Ireland team of almost 900 people, working across Ireland and the agency’s network of 42 offices around the world. Their focus is to help Irish businesses to grow and scale, to be profitable, productive and competitive, and to create quality jobs across the country.
Over her 30 year career in Enterprise Ireland, Jenny held various leadership positions within the organisation, including Chief Client Officer, Head of the High Potential Start-Up Division, Head of National Research programmes. A scientist by background, she holds a BSc and a PhD in Chemistry from University College Dublin.
Deborah Power
European Research & Innovation
Projects Specialist
Keynote Speaker
Prof. Deborah M. Power is Professor of Biotechnology at the Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), University of Algarve, Portugal. Her work spans biotechnology, aquaculture and marine research, with a strong focus on translating research into practical applications and building collaboration between academia, industry and regional stakeholders.
She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Gothenburg for her contributions to biotechnology and aquaculture and was elected a Corresponding Member of the Reial Acadèmia de Ciències i Arts de Barcelona (RACAB). Prof. Power has extensive experience in European research programmes, researcher training and international scientific collaboration. Her current work includes supporting regional innovation through collaboration with artisanal salt producers in Portugal, exploring new products and opportunities while valorising the unique natural and industrial ecosystem of Castro Marim.
Dr James Hanrahan
Director of the UNWTO Atlantic Sustainable Tourism Observatory Ireland and STORYATU
Panellist
Dr James Hanrahan is the director of the UNWTO Atlantic Sustainable Tourism Observatory Ireland and STORYATU. He has been a Sustainable tourism lecturer and researcher at ATU for over 20 years. He has lectured in higher education across Ireland, New Zealand, Hawaii, Bulgaria, California, and Britain. One of James key strengths is postgraduate supervision and he has supervised many PhDs to completion in wide range of topics such as: sustainable tourism management, sustainable tourism indicators, measuring and monitoring tourism carbon footprint, tourism entrepreneurship, event management and biosecurity. Currently he is supervising PhDs in sustainable tourism and AI, supply chain management, circular tourism and smart digital solutions for net zero destinations. James has worked on many European-funded projects including the Interreg Atlantic Areas project on Polycentric Tourism and the Interreg Europe project on Tourism as a Service: a 360 tourism experience. Prior to his academic career he worked as a tour guide, tour operator, tourism manager and, tourism consultant. Dr Hanrahan’s work focuses on sustainable tourism development and destination management, exploring how tourism can support resilient, community-focused futures. His research examines social impacts, circular-economy approaches, biosecurity and smart solutions, with a focus on evidence-based planning and collaboration to create more inclusive, sustainable and resilient destinations.
Eva Nussmueller
Head of Unit for Smart and Sustainable Growth, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission
Panellist
Eva Nussmueller is acting Head of Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO), currently leading work on smart and sustainable growth, regional competitiveness, and the Just Transition Fund. With over 15 years of experience in EU cohesion policy, she has contributed to key initiatives including urban policy, the New European Bauhaus, or cross border cooperation. Eva holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the Vienna University of Economics and Business and has lectured on regional innovation.
Owen Mc Colgan
Senior Consultant at Technopolis Group
Panellist
Owen Mc Colgan is a Senior Consultant at Technopolis Group, where he works on the evaluation and economic analysis of European research and innovation policy. Since 2023 he has worked on the European Innovation Scoreboard and Regional Innovation Scoreboard, authoring both country and main reports, work that tracks how innovation performance differs across Europe’s regions and countries and how those patterns have shifted across successive editions. He works on analysis of how public R&D funding shapes private investment across Member States on behalf of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. This sits alongside evaluation and impact assessment work for several Commission departments, spanning cloud and AI policy, the future of European research partnerships, cross-border barriers in construction services, audiovisual media regulation, and the carbon border adjustment mechanism.
John Edwards
Secretary General of EURASHE, the European Association for the Applied Sciences in Higher Education
Panellist
John Edwards PhD is Secretary General of EURASHE, the European Association for the Applied Sciences in Higher Education. In this role he acts as an interface between European policy makers and EURASHE members in the fields of higher education, employment, research, enterprise, and regional policy. John previously worked for the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre between 2011 and 2020, managing projects on the role of higher education and vocational excellence in Smart Specialisation. John holds degrees from the University of St Andrews, the College of Europe in Bruges, and Newcastle University, where he completed his PhD in economic geography. He is a dual Portuguese/UK national.
Cllr Rory Hogan
Dublin City Councillor
Panellist
Rory Hogan is a Dublin City Councillor representing the Pembroke area and serves as Leader of the Fianna Fáil Group on Dublin City Council. First elected in 2024, Rory has focused his work on local government, community safety, transport and the economic development of Dublin. He is Vice-Chair of the Council’s Economic Development and Enterprise Strategic Policy Committee. Before entering public office, Rory worked in public relations and communications. He holds a BA in Economics, Politics and Innovation from University College Dublin and is currently undertaking an MBA at Trinity College Dublin.
